Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - 30 Year Retrospective: “The Red Ripper” Andrei Chikatilo Pt. 1

Episode Date: October 17, 2022

In the USSR, an engineer hid a secret he was deeply ashamed of — his inability to have sex with women he dated. His frustration made him withdraw from others, until he developed a proclivity for sexual violence that, at last, could satisfy him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of rape, violence, and murder, including the murder of children and cannibalism. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. It was a cold winter night in Shakti, a thriving city in the southern USSR. 42-year-old Andre Chiquitillo was grabbing some items from his local supermarket. The day had been long and humiliating. The cruel high schoolers he taught, constantly. He instantly belittled him and made him feel utterly powerless.

But when he left the store, he saw something that seemed to make him forget his troubles. Nine-year-old Lena Zaccotneva stood at a bus stop outside. Dressed in a bright red coat, she was a beacon of crimson light in the dingy winter gray. Andre approached her, asking her where she was going. Lena said she had to rush home so she wouldn't upset her mother. Plus, she had to go to the bathroom. As a family man, Andre was good with children. Kindly, he offered the restroom at his place just down the road. Lena agreed, and the two walked further away from town. Andre did take her

to his home, but not the one he shared with his wife and kids. He took her to his secret shack, where they would have total privacy. He led her into the decrepit, crumbling building with wood plastered over its broken windows. They climbed the crooked stairs leading to a sagging front door. Once inside the small room, Andre felt his heart race, and his skin grow hot with desire.

He pounced on Lena, pinning her to the floor and tearing off her clothes. In the struggle, he accidentally drew blood. Staring at the dark liquid, Andre felt a new urge wash over him. For the first time in his life, he knew exactly what he wanted, Laina's life in the palm of his hands, and there was nothing to stop him from taking it. Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. This is Serial Killers, a Spotify original from Parcast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers.

October 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the conviction of André Chiquetillo, one of the most prolific serial killers in history. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. In today's episode, we'll learn about Andre's brutal upbringing in the wake of the 1932 Ukrainian famine, as well as the stinging impact of his own sexual impotence. We'll watch Andre's hunger for power turn into a lust for violence until we witness his first murder. Next time, we'll see how Andre exploited the weakness of a crumbling Soviet.

Union, which allowed his killing spree to continue for over a decade. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Bonnie and Clyde, the lonely hearts killers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These are infamous criminal duels. But you don't need to break any laws to find your perfect business partner because you have Shopify. It's the commerce platform that can help you with literally everything, website design, marketing, shipping, and more. So start your business today with the best partner, Shopify, and get that.

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The feeling of hunger, true hunger, is nearly unimaginable to those who haven't experienced it. Dizziness becomes a constant companion. Hair turns brittle and falls out, and limbs swell to conserve nutrients. Bones ache as the body consumes itself from the inside out. In 1930s Ukraine, starvation was a common experience. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin forced farmers to hand over all their crops to the government, or face execution. His policies led to a ghastly famine called the Holodomor,

a combination of the Ukrainian words, starvation, and to inflict death. During this time, an estimated 3.9 million people died from hunger. Desperation drove citizens to scavenge for tree bark or roots, and even eat their pets. Many hid food when they could, even at the risk of being beaten by authorities if they were discovered. Eventually, when there was not. nothing left, starving Ukrainians wandered aimlessly until they collapsed in the street. It was in this depraved, exhausted world that Andre Chichotillo was born.

In 1936, Anna Chiquatilo gave birth to her son Andrei and Yabluchnoia, a Ukrainian village under control of the USSR. But the height of the famine was over, hunger was still common. When Andre was only five years old, Anna seemed to decide it was to be able to. time her son faced the cruel realities of their life. So she told him about a horrible family secret, the mysterious disappearance of Andre's brother, though it should be noted that some sources believe the missing child was actually his cousin. Two years before Andre's birth, the boy had vanished from their town. At first, the family waited for a kidnapper's ransom note. But when it didn't arrive, rumors circulated that the child wasn't taken as ransom, but as food.

Anna likely shared this story so Andre would be cautious, but instead he became fascinated by cannibalism. The boy fell asleep, picturing what it would be like to eat another human being. It wasn't surprising that violence was on Andre's mind. In 1941, his father, Roman, left home to defend Ukraine from Hitler's army, but was quickly captured, and the fighting eventually arrived at Andre's doorstep. Over the next few years, Nazis battled with the Soviets throughout Ukraine. Occasionally, the young André saw corpses and dismembered body parts in the streets.

According to rumors, the violence in André's life only got worse. Allegedly, the Nazis stormed their small village in 1943. And André witnessed soldiers attack and rape his mother. Nine months later, Anna gave birth to his sister, Tatiana. Before Andre was 10 years old, sexual violence. violence, war, and hunger were integral parts of his life. It was an incredible amount of trauma for a child. Without any healthy ways to cope, Andre's body reacted unexpectedly. Long after most children learned to control their bladder, Andre still wet the bed. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology

here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but we have done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. According to a 2016 study published by the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, children are expected to gain nighttime bladder control from ages 4 to 6, but Andre continued to wet the bed until he was 12. The review found that this lack of control is tied to early stress in childhood. The more trauma a child faces, the more difficult it is to gain coordination. But Anna didn't know this. She was confused by her son's stained sheets, so she beat him for the accidents, hoping they would stop. Life outside the house wasn't much easier. Andre found it incredibly difficult to relate to

other kids. He kept to himself, stayed quiet, and daydreamed often. All his classmates thought he was odd and bullied him incessantly. In one instance, a boy standing next to him at a urinal thought his foreskin was an odd shape and told everyone in the school. Other kids said he had breasts and called him Baba, a disparaging word for a woman. Hyper masculinity was an important Russian value, so André's self-worth plummeted. He also had trouble academically. He was smart and engaged enough in his studies, but he had terrible eyesight. The problem could have been corrected with glasses, but he worried that lenses would make the bullying worse.

So even though he could barely see the blackboard, Andre sat in the back, terrified to draw attention to himself. Everywhere he turned in life, Andre felt shame, inadequacy, and a hunger for acceptance. At first, he thought his hardships, from bedwetting to the bullies, were his own fault. He was weak. But this line of thought seemed to change in 1945, because suddenly, Andre had someone to blame. When Andre was about eight, the Allied forces defeated Germany and Japan, ending World War II. The Soviets then reclaimed Ukraine from the Nazis. During the war, Andre's father, Roman, had spent about four years as a prisoner in a concentration camp. Now, he returned home to his wife and children, but he didn't exactly get a warm welcome.

The sentiment in Ukraine at the time was that only cowards allowed themselves to be captured while true heroes died defending their country. By this point, André had bought into the overwhelming pro-masculine and communist propaganda. He never saw Stalin as the cause of his family's hunger, only the hero of the Red Army. So when the neighbors shunned his family because of Roman's capture, Andre sided with them. He thought his father deserved it. He finally had someone to be angry at besides himself.

This change seemed revelatory for the teenager. Suddenly he could direct his frustration outward. When Andre hit puberty, he grew taller and stronger than his classmates. Now, instead of cowering against his bully's words, he threw punches and instigated fights. Most of the time he won. The violence earned himself. long-desired respect, along with the nickname Andre Sela or Andre the Strong. It was a big change from Baba.

Andre's newfound confidence spilled over into the classroom, too. He moved from the back road to the front, where he could finally see the board. Now he impressed teachers with his engagement and intelligence. While in high school, his interest in communism grew exponentially. The more propaganda he read, the more empowered he felt. He became a liaison for communist youth groups and relished his leadership position. There was, however, one big hurdle for the young man. Andre had grown tall and rather handsome.

But at 15, he was terrified of women. In fact, he was so nervous around the opposite sex that if a female classmate sat next to him, he moved. His frustration in himself grew. When he saw a classmate sling his arm casually over a pretty girl's shoulders, or saw a young couple share a kiss in the hallway, he trembled with jealousy. Despite this, Andre did manage to get some dates, but even though small successes ended in failure. Because of his anxiety, Andre could never perform sexually. Word spread around the village about his impotence, which utterly humiliated Andre,

but there was one incident that seemed to raise his spirits. In the spring of 1954, when Andre was 17, he received a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of an unexpected visitor. It was one of his younger sister's friends who will call Nina. As Andre took in Nina's skirt and stockings, he realized that he wanted her. Overcome with arousal, he pushed Nina to the ground. His hunger for her was so great he didn't care who saw. Though we don't know Nina's side, Andre believed she reciprocated, or at least tolerated his aggressive actions. But it was the feeling of holding her down, pinned helplessly beneath him, that piqued his excitement.

After a few minutes, Andre ejaculated. Just like with his bedwetting, his body had lost control. He immediately retreated inside, ashamed and confused by what had happened. What he didn't realize then was that this violent display of power was the very beginning of a dark, new obsession. Coming up, Andre pushes his violent desires to the extreme. The floorboards creak. The walls, they moan.

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or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia if you're nursing, pregnant, plan to be, or taking birth control pills. Taking Zep bound with a sulfonel urea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting which can cause dehydration and worse than kidney problems. Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-99-9 or visit zepbounds.lily.com. Now back to the story. By 1955, 18-year-old Andre Chiquetillo had experienced the terrors of war and famine,

as well as humiliation and emasculation. But throughout the remainder of his schooling years, it seemed like he was trying to put his traumatic past behind him. In high school, Andre achieved high grades and took on leadership rules. He soon felt superior to his classmates and their tiny village. He was destined for greater things. So he applied to the highly competitive Moscow State University. It might be difficult to fathom how Andre could internalize shame and low self-esteem alongside the belief that he was better than those around him. But later in life, psychiatrists diagnosed Andre with schizoid personality disorder. According to a 2018 study, by a schizophrenia bulletin, people with schizoid personalities can be ambivalent about their sense of

self, which confuses their feelings of individuality, self-direction, and self-esteem. This could explain how feelings of both superiority and inferiority could live inside Andre at once. Unfortunately, Andre would have another disappointment to add to his list. His university application was rejected. Andre was absolutely crushed. He felt, He felt entitled to the honor, but at the same time the rejection validated every negative thing he believed about himself. Rather than apply to other out-of-town universities, Andre gave up. He stayed in his village of Yabluchnoe and attended local technical college.

It was a step down from his dreams. Although there was one bright side to staying at home, the teenage Andre met another friend of his sisters and the pair started dating. But after a few months and multiple attempts at intercourse, Andre was unable to have sex with his girlfriend. Frustrated, they broke up. The shame was immense. Andre had spent a lot of time loathing himself for his impotence.

Now it had ended the only real relationship he'd ever had. Despite this inner turmoil, Andre managed to earn his college degree. He quickly found an engineering job in a small city called Nizhny Chagil, about 1,000 miles east of Moscow. Finally, he'd left his hometown behind. By this time, the USSR had not only recovered from its post-war economic slump, but it was competing with global powers like the United States. With the Cold War and Space Race in full swing, work like Andres was vital. His job wasn't just paying the bills. He was serving his great country. For the first couple of weeks on the job, Andre enjoyed the fresh start. His coworkers liked him, his bosses appreciated.

him, and the work was stimulating. However, when André started dating the local women, he once again struggled with sex. To make matters worse, these women openly teased him for his issues. They thought a man who couldn't have sex was hardly a man at all. What if these girls told everyone in Nizhny Taggil about his impotence? Just like in his hometown. He grew extremely paranoid, always worried his colleagues knew his shameful secret. In a matter of weeks, the 20-year-old went from a happy new guy in town to a depressed shut-in.

He was so petrified of teasing that his colleagues who had once liked him soon found him aloof and distant. Andre got a chance at another fresh start when the Soviet military drafted him into its communications unit. Initially, he made an effort to go out drinking with the other recruits, but every time they went to the bars, the group was focused on one thing, women. his Achilles heel. At first, he thought it was easier to meet girls while hidden within a squad of uniformed men. But when the end of the night rolled around and the other soldiers escorted partners to the nearest bed, he panicked and went home. One evening, Andre managed to hit it off with a young woman.

After talking and laughing, he put his arms around her. A few minutes later, his date grew bored. She stood to leave, but Andre held her in place. As the woman struggled to break away, Andre felt his breath catch. He loved the shock and fear in her eyes and her desperate movements as she tried to twist out of his iron grasp. Before he could make sense of what was happening, he ejaculated in his pants. It was just like pitting his sister's friend to the ground years before, but this time

Andre wasn't ashamed. He was hungry for more. Unfortunately for Andre, he didn't have a lot of time to to explore this newfound affinity for sexual violence. In the USSR, traditional family roles were extremely important. Couples got married early, usually around 20 years old, and started having children soon afterwards. And Andre's struggles hadn't gone unnoticed.

In 1963, his younger sister Tatiana decided her shy brother had been single for far too long. She introduced him to her friend Fiodosia. Tatiana knew Andre would never have the guts to ask Fia Dosa out himself, so she invited them all to the same social events. Despite Andre's initial nerves and inability to look Fiodosia in the eye, the couple clicked. They were a great match. Fiodosia was intelligent, abrasive, and decisive,

and Andre was happy to follow her lead. Within a few weeks, they got married. There was only one problem, Andre's persisting inability to have intercourse. Fiodosia was surprised. and somewhat disappointed. But they needed children. Some reports say they used a combination of masturbation and insemination.

Whatever they did was successful, because Fiaodosia gave birth to two children between 1967 and 1969. Family life suited Andre. He loved his kids with all his heart. And for the next couple of years, the growing family truly seemed like the perfect Soviet citizens. With a renewed sense of purpose, André went back to school to earn the degrees he always wanted. With Fyodosia's support, he studied

Russian philology and literature. His studies led to a new career. Around 1970, Andre took a job as a teacher, Innova Shaktinsk, a beautiful riverbound city in the southern USSR. He felt hopeful, connected to his own children, passionate about academics, and confident that his life had finally aligned. He imagined himself at the head of the classroom, inspiring awestruck students with his wit, encouraging strong communist beliefs, and of course sticking up for the shy boys in the back. This optimistic dream fell apart the very first day. Students wouldn't listen to him at all. They broke rules right in front of his face and called him names. Andre soon realized he was incapable of maintaining any discipline whatsoever. He was so overwhelmed by his class. He was so overwhelmed by

his class that one time he almost fainted in the staff room. The old feelings of insecurity and shame returned. Andre was hardly the capable, masculine authority figure he wanted to be. His work caused him a significant amount of stress, but when he searched for an outlet, he didn't turn to his wife or children for help. Instead, he found solace in sexual fantasies. Just like the loved Lorin teen,

the teacher daydreamed about sex constantly, but instead of holding hands, he imagined holding women down against their will. These visions were never about women his own age. Instead, they involved his students. As his daydreams grew more visceral. It wasn't long before they became reality. Andre stood close to some of the girls' students, and occasionally let a wandering hand touch them inappropriately.

A 2017 case study on Andre, published by the Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, suggests that his childhood trauma potentially contributed to his sexual urges toward children. Growing up, he'd felt powerless against the kids who bullied him and shamed by the women who mocked him. On a subconscious level, he might have wanted to get back at them. Since those people weren't around anymore, he possibly redirected his urges towards female students at his school. His behavior escalated. At times, he walked into the women's dormitory while they were changing,

then openly masturbated in front of them. The school quickly became aware of Andre's predatory behavior, but they didn't do anything about it. There were a few reasons for this, most of which stemmed from the USSR's patriarchal and often misogynistic tendencies. Women had rights in the workforce by law, but in interpersonal dynamics, they had a huge disadvantage.

Divorce was difficult and often favored the man, and domestic violence was widely tolerated. Those who attempted to seek justice for sexual assault or misconduct were harshly interrogated. This often resulted in putting the blame on the victim. Plus, sex was a dirty, taboo topic. Women were judged for being promiscuous, so they didn't always want to address sexual assault incidents. Doing so often gave them a stigma, which made their lives harder. All these factors allowed Andre to continue his transgressions, which only grew more extreme.

Once, Andre kept a 14-year-old after-class to punish her for bad grades. He beat her with a ruler until she begged and cried, overcome he grabbed her, and feeling her struggle accidentally ejaculated. It wasn't just at school either. Andre also sexually abused Fia's six-year-old niece. Now that he discovered this feeling, it seemed like he couldn't get enough. But eventually, enough parents submitted complaints that the school could no longer ignore the issue. In 1974, they quietly asked Andre to resign.

Fiedosia was frustrated with her husband's disturbing habits, but he promised her it wouldn't happen again. He was a sweet partner and a good father to their children, so she forgave him and let the incident stay in the past. So when Andre and his family moved to nearby Shakti for another teaching job, it likely felt like they could start over. In reality, Andre couldn't give up his new world. He'd never felt anything like the rush of pinning down a young woman or hearing her scream. He yearned for it with every part of his body. That's possibly why, after arriving in Shakti, Andre secretly bought a dilapidated three-room shack in a quiet part of town. At first, he took sex workers there to attempt intercourse, which was rarely successful. But soon, the place proved

useful for more disturbing acts. In the winter of 1978, 42-year-old André trudged through the gray winter evening to the local supermarket. He'd just finished work and there was no rush to get home. He liked walking through the aisles, disappearing into the rush of shoppers. He left the store, and that's when he saw her. Dressed in a fur-lined red winter jacket, nine-year-old Lena Zaccotnovah stood at a nearby bus stop. Her small frame beckoned. A familiar urge filled him hunger.

He went to stand beside her, asking her name and where she was going. Lena admitted she was rushing home to use the bathroom. So, friendly as could be, André offered up his facilities. After she accepted, he walked the girl to his run-down house and ushered her inside. As soon as he closed the door, Andre tackled Lena to the ground. She screamed, but he covered her mouth and, and tore at her clothes. Andre wanted to rape her, but his body failed him once again.

In the struggle, she started to bleed. Seeing the dark red liquid drip out of Lena gave Andre the strongest orgasm he'd ever experienced. In a frenzy, he pulled out a pocket knife. At first he just wanted to cut her a little more, but he couldn't control himself. He drove the knife into her stomach over and over. She screamed and thrashed, but it just added to his. his pleasure. Finally, he tossed the knife and squeezed her neck as hard as he could. He was in such chaotic ecstasy. He didn't know she was already dead. After a few minutes, Andre pulled himself

away from the bloody mess that once was Lena. He was exhausted, but elated. After decades of a confused, tortured existence, he'd never felt like this before. For a brief, blissful moment, he was finally sated. Coming up, Andre takes his appetite on the road. This episode is brought to you by Prime. Obsession is in session. And this summer, Prime Originals have everything you want. Steamy romances, irresistible love stories,

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At Sephora, spritz on lush notes of rainforest orchid and crisp sea breeze with hafresco paraizzo. Embrace of floral and fruity scent inspired by Rio's nude beach with chiqui bikini. Or capture sun-kissed bliss with limonada gelada, where zesty Brazilian lemonade accord meets coconut milk and golden brown sugar. Don't miss Sol de Janito's limited edition perfume mist collection only at Sephora. Now back to the story. On a cold night in 1978, 42-year-old Andre Chichotillo lured a nine-year-old named Lena into his secret apartment. There, he found the greatest sexual pleasure of his life when he brutally stabbed her to death. But Asandre sat beside her

body, it was only a matter of minutes before panic set in. He hadn't meant to kill Lena, and he had no idea how to dispose of her remains. Still, he had to do something. He wrapped Lena in his clothes and picked her up. Then he peered into the shadowy street to check for neighbors before making a dash to the nearby river. The schoolteacher threw Lena and her belongings into the freezing water. He watched for a moment as her body disappeared into the dark. André didn't return to the scene of the crime. Instead, he walked briskly home. His wife, Theodosia, was out that night,

and he wanted her to think he'd been there all evening, just in case the authorities found Lena in another town and came knocking. Unfortunately for Andre, the current didn't carry Lena's body as far as he would have liked. Just two days later, right before Christmas, two police officers found Lena on the shores of Shakti. She was only a few miles from where Andre had tossed her aunt. officers went door to door asking questions. Residents immediately pointed them to the small, run-down shack

and the strange neighbor who took women in and out. The officials interrogated Andre and also interviewed Fiodosia. They told her a little girl had been sexually assaulted and murdered. She needed to confirm her husband's alibi that he'd been home all night. It's hard to know what Fiodosia felt at that moment. She knew about Andre's obsession with children. children. His previous assaults were the reason they were in this town in the first place. She must have at least suspected his involvement.

But telling the truth meant betraying her husband, the father of her children. They'd have to pick up their lives and flee once again. Sophia Dossia lied. She said he was home all night. To her, it might have seemed like a small price to pay to keep her family and reputation intact. Over the course of the following weeks, the police interviewed Andre eight or nine times, but found no evidence linking him to Lena's death. Instead, their suspicion fell on someone else entirely. They arrested a 25-year-old man named Alexander Kravchenka.

Alexander was exactly the kind of person the police were searching for. He lived nearby and spent 10 years in prison for killing a child when he was a teenager. There was no solid evidence pointing to Alexander, but that didn't matter to the officers. The Soviet Union considered crime a capitalist phenomenon. That meant officials sometimes hid incidents to preserve communism's peaceful reputation. They were more interested in keeping up appearances than protecting citizens. The detectives wanted to solve Lena's murder as quickly as possible. After intense questioning, Alexander actually confessed to the homicide.

perhaps under duress and threat of violence. A few years later, he was executed. Though Andre loved killing, the investigation briefly scared him straight. His dark desires weren't worth his life. To avoid temptation, he quit teaching. Instead, he took a job as a supplies clerk for a manufacturing company. The position was considered lowly for a man who went to university, and he spent days at a time on the road,

traveling alone. However, even in these far-away cities, Andre found himself tempted once again. In 1981, 44-year-old Andre walked past a library in Rostovandan. Standing outside the building was 17-year-old Larissa Kachinka. Andre struck up a conversation with the young girl, flirting ever so slightly. Larissa, who had always been a rebel, might have been curious about being with an older man. So when Andre suggested they'd take a walk by the river, the teenager agreed. Andre led them down an isolated path in the woods. Under the cover of thick trees, Andre and Larissa attempted to have sex, but as usual, he couldn't perform.

Maybe she reminded Andre of all the other women in his life and their constant badgering against his manhood. Whatever the reason, Andre lashed out and started beating her. A euphoric rush washed over him, and he continued to attack. The more she shouted and struggled, the more aroused he became. Caught in the moment, Andre began biting Larissa. He tore chunks of her skin off with his teeth and spit them out. According to a 2018 case study published by the Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Andre's desire to brutalize Larissa stemmed from a disorder called erotaphonophilia.

This is when someone becomes sexually aroused by murder and mutilation. Erratophonophilia can come from the hunger for complete dominance over a person. Andre, who faced humiliation and physical impotence his entire life, was desperate to feel in control, and there was no greater dominance than biting into his victim's skin, transforming her from a human being into a meal. The cautionary tale about his cannibalized relative also might have been on Andre's mind. mind. All those nights he lay awake, wondering how one could eat another's flesh. Now it felt as

natural as a starving man gorgeing on a piece of meat. After Larissa died, Andre came down from his frenzy. Then he covered her in leaves and walked out of the woods. It might have looked like he was simply coming back from a pleasant walk. Officials found Larissa's body the next day, but there was nothing to connect Andre to the murder. After all, he lived over an hour away. And Rostov on dawn, the 44-year-old might as well have been a ghost. A whole year passed, and Andre wondered just how much he could get away with if he was careful. In the summer of 1982, Andre was on a business trip in a tiny town about 30 miles south of Shakti. It was brutally hot, and Andre felt the heat stir his deepest desires.

So, when he saw 13-year-old Lubabir-Yir-Yuk walking home from the store, he followed her. a wolf stalking its prey. Andre coaxed Luba into a patch of secluded woods and attempted to rape the girl. But when that failed, he once again lashed out. He stabbed her repeatedly in the stomach. She fought back but was no match for the 45-year-old. And this time, Andre didn't stop at killing her or even biting her skin. He used his weapon to gouge out Luba's eyes.

A Russian superstition suggests that when a killer takes, takes a life, an imprint of their face is left on the back of their victim's eyes. This way the police can see the culprit during autopsies and hunt down the murderer. It's possible that Andre felt paranoid about this lore and wanted to destroy the imaginary photo. Or it could have been another manifestation of erotaphonophilia. By the time officials found Lubas' body two weeks later, she'd decomposed in the summer humidity. Any existing evidence was lost. With yet another escape, Andre seemed to relinquish any remaining ounce of self-control.

During the next six months, Andre killed six more people in various Soviet Union cities. He sometimes found his victims at bus stops, targeting drifters and young lost souls. His focus on desperate young people wasn't coincidental. It was easy for Andre to get them to follow him with promises of food, sex, money, or even candy. continued to destroy his victim's eyes and used his teeth to tear off their skin. But he also developed new habits. He started cutting or biting off tongues and genitals. He never admitted to eating human flesh. It seemed he liked to chew, then spit out these body parts. His erratophonophilia, plus his experience feeling sexually incompetent, created an urge to destroy

the sexual power of his victims. So when he mutilated body parts associated with sex, he felt total dominance and immense gratification. However, Andre's brutal murder streak had finally been noticed, even though the bodies were spread out over several cities. The pattern of mutilated children was hard to miss, and the police eventually connected them. Officials launched an investigation into the killings, but in an effort to maintain the peace and project strength, they kept these proceedings a secret.

No one alerted the public about a serial killer in their midst. Soviet citizens continued on with their lives, oblivious that their children were in danger. This discretion gave Andre an advantage over his unsuspecting victims. Consumed with desire, he detached from the rest of his life. He phoned it in at his job, barely getting his tasks done. At home, he grew isolated from Fiodosia and his now-grown children. All he wanted to do was kill. Throughout 1983, Andre murdered eight more people, bringing his total victim count to 17.

After growing up in a famine, Andre now lived a life of abundance. And while police quietly searched for their monster, Andre's appetite grew stronger. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back soon with part two of the Red Ripper, in which Andre's appetite grew stronger. in which André's horrific savagery leads to more victims. For more information on Andre Chichotillo, amongst the many sources we used, we found The Red Ripper, Inside the Mind of Russia's Most Brutal Serial Killer, by Peter Conradi, extremely helpful to our research.

You can find all episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Stay safe out there. Serial Killers is a Spotify. Original from Parcast. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound designed by Michael Motion, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Nick Johnson, Trent Williamson, and Carly Madden. This episode of serial killers was written by Kit Fitzgerald, edited by Ben Carrow and Kate Murdoch, fact-checked by Catherine Barner, researched by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood, and produced by Bruce Kitovich.

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